Comparison of Physiotherapy and Acupuncture on Myofascial Pain Syndrome Related Headache

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a regional pain, originating from a myofascial trigger point (MTP). The key to diagnosis of MPS is a distance between the pain location and the causative trigger point in skeletal muscle. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy and acupuncture on relieving the MTP induced headaches. In this study eighty patients with headache associated with the neck region's MTP were enrolled into the study. The mean number of headaches after intervention in the physiotherapy group, was not different from the acupuncture group. The mean reduction of VAS score in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the physiotherapy group. After treatment, Benchmark of Modified Mc Gill criteria’s in the physiotherapy group was not different from the Benchmark Modified Mc Gill in the acupuncture group. The mean reduction in the HIT in acupuncture group was significantly higher than physiotherapy group, reduction of A-PRI score in the acupuncture group was significantly lower than physiotherapy group. Both physiotherapy and acupuncture are effective for therapeutic approaches relieving MPS related headaches, but endurance of the pain relieving effect is more significant in acupuncture method.